• The “Talent Development” funding programme is aimed at researchers with a PhD from the University of Rostock (excluding University Medicine Rostock) who are at career stages R2 (postdocs) to R4 (professors) (classification according to the European Framework for Research Careers at euraxess.ec.europa.eu/career-development/researchers).
• If the aim is to prepare a DFG grant application, researchers are eligible for funding provided that, at the time of application, they are not yet leading their own DFG project.

• The maximum grant amount of 15,000 € may be used to fund the following expenditure:
  • Material costs (including travel expenses)
  • Staff costs
  • Costs for support staff or
  • lectureships
• Funding from the Pro-Rector for Research, Talent Development and Equal Opportunities can be partial funding.
• The project duration is limited to a maximum of 12 months. Applications for a cost-neutral extension of the grant may be approved in justified exceptional cases.
• The award of the grant is subject to conditions and depends on the availability of the budgeted funds allocated to the University of Rostock.

• The call for applications takes place twice a year.
• The submission deadlines are 1 April and 1 October of the current year.
• Applications must be submitted via the online application portal.

• Scientific quality of the funding application (including preparatory work)
• project’s potential for raising third-party funding
• research project’s contribution to further strengthening the research profile of the applicants and the associated institution

• Submission of the application using the application template via the online application portal
• Assessment of the projects for eligibility for funding by the Pro-Rector for Research, Talent Development and Equal Opportunities
• Forwarding of all eligible applications (including a recommendation on eligibility) to the Senate Commission for Research, Science Transfer and Early-Career Researchers
• Statement by the Senate Commission on the Pro-Rector’s recommendations regarding the eligibility of applications and, where applicable, prioritisation of the submitted applications
• Funding decision by the Pro-Rector
• Expected 4–6 weeks after the application deadline:
  Announcement of the funding decision:
  (a) Notification of approval & release of the approved funds or
  (b) Letter of rejection (generally without giving reasons)
• Publication of the funded projects, including details of the applicants, the project title and the project content

To comply with the reporting requirements, the following documents must be submitted to the Pro-Rector for Research, Talent Development and Equal Opportunities:

• Statement of funds used at the end of the financial year
• Final report no later than 3 months after the funding has expired
• Proof that the project application has been submitted to the external funding body